Peterborough police on Wednesday evening said the scene at Lansdowne Place mall has now been cleared after a bomb threat was called in the afternoon.
The mall was evacuated after police responded to the scene just after 2 p.m.
Police initially did not provide details about why all shoppers and employees were forced to leave the mall.
All entrances were blocked and the mall was closed for the night.
Police drones were deployed to surveille the area around the mall.
Some patrons – including those at Planet Fitness gym – had outdoor clothing and vehicle keys left inside and were left in the cold.
One police officer permitted a trio of gym patrons to sit inside his patrol vehicle to stay warm as they waited for the situation to resolve.
City police say the York Regional Police Service’s bomb squad was brought in earlier this evening, along with a bomb sniffing dog, who checked the property and deemed it was safe.
Police announced the scene was clear around 7:20 p.m.
The mall has now been turned over to the care of the property owner.